How do you snare rabbits in an urban area?

[popper]

I have a fenced yard but the bunnies decimate my lawn. Can't shoot em with anything. I thought of snares on the fence, to catch them when they go under. I guess you can't use anything for bait. Would heavy fishing line work for the loop? Would a staked rat trap work better?

[wch]

I think that you should check the Texas game laws.
Wouldn't a live trap be better in an urban neighborhood?
If anyone accosted you, then you'd have the perfect out: "I just live trap them and take them out into the countryside and let them go loose".

[starmac]

Can't even use an airgun, hmmm.

[mongoosesnipe]

I would go with a live trap over snares (which you would want to use wire for by the way) because if you catch the neighbors cat in a snare it will be a world of poop where as a live trap just requires opening the door

[CATS]

Make a few old style wooden box trap door traps. Anyone looking onto your yard will not easily see what you trapped, so less fuss from neighbors. You can empty them into burlap feed sack to start the transformation to dinner. WHEN you apprehend the neighbor's cat or wiener dog you can release it....no harm no foul. The bait route will get into the neighborhood food chain and will eventually splatter back on you. If you use weathered lumber for your box traps they are even more visually uninteresting to nosey neighbors and tend to disappear in plain sight.

[429421Cowboy]

I too think a box trap setup would be best, you are likely going to wind up catching a neighborhood cat, at least you can let them go. Also you won't have the neighbors seeing a dead rabbit in a snare on your property, which could lead to much unwanted attention. As mentioned earlier, at least the box trap gives you the option of saying you are just relocating them. Box traps strong enough to hold bunnies are dead simple to make at home with lumber and safe for cats.

[Bored1]

I would suggest a live trap, harbor freight and tractor supply company both have sales going on right now different models. Tractor supply has 2 for 25$ right now if theres one by you.

[Blacksmith]

First check your local game laws. Some states snares are illegal, there might be a season, some places require trappers to have a license, or special training, some states require traps to be marked with certain information, etc. You will also need to figure how you will humanly kill whatever you catch, it sound like shooting them is a no no.

[starmac]

Slingshot.....

[mongoosesnipe]

Another point for the live trap is noise if you have never heard a rabbit scream it is a noise that will get your attention if they are normally a virtually silent animal as long as they are no in pain or high stress they will be pretty calm in a box or live trap but they will more hen likely scream in a snare and it will get your neighbors attention

[crawfobj]

A rabbit screaming I one of the most blood curdling sounds I have ever heard and will bring you way more attention than you want.

A buddy if mine shot a cottontail through both front legs and pinned it to the ground while we were bowhunting. I was over 200 yards away and you would have thought he was strangling it by hand right under me.

Not sure how you catch a rabbit in a box or live trap. I've never done it, but I would definitely stay away from snares.

[wallenba]

My old dog Bud (RIP), used to ambush them by waiting in a blind spot on the side of the porch. When they came through a gap in the back fence their backs would be to him. They can see almost all they way around with their eyes on the sides of their heads, yet he still got them a good 20 % of the time. They really screamed loud and it upset the neighbors kid to see it. I had to block the porch and fence so he could not do it anymore.

[mongoosesnipe]

Catching animals in a live trap is about using appealing bait if my garden last year was any indication they have a fetish for green beans but any high nutrition appetizing food that isn't nessisarily all around for them to eat will draw them into the trap

As for he scream o he rabbit it is probably the worst sound I have ever heard come out of an animal I once heard an owl grab a rabbit outside my bedroom window and in an un owl like fashion it was not a clean kill

If you want to hear it find one of the snake eatin rabbit videos on YouTube but they don't do justice for how loud rabbits can be

[Hardcast416taylor]

I wouldn`t advise you to do any snaring of rabbits in a suburban area of homes fairly close. Otherwise you could be seeing what the backseat of a patrol car looks like when the neighbors turn you in for animal cruelty.Robert

[popper]

State rules for this county - NO projectile can be used on property less than 50 acres and > 50 need written permission from adjacent land owners. Our lovely RHINO's. City won't trap or provide trap unless I say I'm trying to trap bobcats or skunk. No season on rabbits here but you can't legally just relocate without landowners permission. Last cat I saw in the area was 6 mo ago, I think she ate too many rabbits and died. If you live trap, what do you use for bait? Don't tell me carrots - that doesn't work.

[Blacksmith]

What are they eating in your yard? That would be a good start for bait.

Sounds like you choices are to gas them or drown them when you catch them.

[mongoosesnipe]

green leafy vegetables like spinach as i stated the seem to like green beans basically things that have a lot of sent to them will draw them in

[starmac]

Popper is that a Texas county. It has to be a county law, and not state unless there has been some drastic changes there. If there are enough of them that they are destroying your yard, I don't know how one would deal with them, maybe an electric fence.

[BCB]

Apple slices will get rabbits into a live catch trap...

Take apple slices and place a few outside of the trap and then put a few into the trap...

The rabbit will munch each one and end up tripping the trap as it crosses that area...

Trapped dozens and dozens that way many years ago when I was training beagles...

I made wooden box traps. With them, I would rub a bit of apple juice on the front floor of the trap along with the method I just described...

If rabbits are in the area, you will get them...

Good-luck...BCB

[429421Cowboy]

Although i have never live trapped rabbits, i do know with critters like skunks or porcupines that they like to go into holes they find, almost to explore it seems, so throwing a tarp over your baited trap, leaving just the door out would make a nice dark hole they would feel safe walking into.